Materials

The typical colour of beech wood is a mixture of white and grey with a pale yellow to reddish tone. The wood shows high shrinkage, has a moderate dimensional stability but an over-average strength. The main reasons why this wood is used in the shoe last production are the high strengths and the processing characteristics.

Alder wood is a light, soft yet firm wood with moderate shrinkage and a good dimensional stability. This tough wood is ideal if you need smooth surfaces. It is easy to turn and to carve. Alder wood is not weatherproof but very durable under water. It also has a high tannin content. We use alder wood for the production of wood soles.

Due to its even structure, poplar wood has a low shrinkage. It shows a high wear resistance, is coarse-fibred and slightly felted. This light wood is very soft. With sharp tools, poplar wood can be processed easily, it has a low tear risk and it can be glued. Due to its characteristics, this type of wood is ideal for the production of wood soles.

Polyethylene appears as a matt milky-haze and feels like wax and is resistant to almost all polar solvents (T < 60 °C), acids, lyes, water, alcohols and oil. PE-HD is also resistant to benzine. PE shows a high viscosity and ultimate elongation as well as good frictional behaviour and low wear. It can be machined and thermoformed easily.

Aluminium is one of the lightest metals. It is relatively soft yet tough. Because of this, it is easy to process. We use aluminium mainly as a material for insole lasts which are used in the industrial production.